Central Georgia Tech nursing instructors join COVID-19 fight in NYC
On the last day of April, Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) nursing instructor, Krystal Gilbert (photo-L), spent her day off from the front lines of Queens Hospital considering a slice of New York-style pizza as she proctored final exams, while her colleague, Ashley Rivers (photo-R), boarded an afternoon flight home to a quarantine hotel.

For both of them, life as a nursing instructor during the spring semester has been anything but routine; it’s actually been a whirlwind of emotions, quick decisions, and personal strength.

In March, just as the College began making decisions to move in-person instruction online, Gilbert and Rivers saw and heard the reports about the growing number of COVID-19 cases in New York City and researched how they could help.

“We eventually connected with a company we liked and deployed to NYC within 48 hours of being accepted,” Gilbert said. “I felt very calm about it and knew this is where I was supposed to be.”

Where they were scheduled to be was in one of New York City’s hardest hit boroughs -- Queens. When they got there everything about the pace and the assignment felt like a warzone. Read more here.
Gov. Kemp: TCSG Granted $12 Million for Dislocated Workers

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the Technical College System of Georgia's (TCSG) Office of Workforce Development was awarded a Dislocated Worker Grant by the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant, totaling $12 million, will help address workforce-related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This federal funding will expand our capacity to serve Georgia workers who have experienced hardship due to COVID-19 closures," said Governor Kemp. "Through employment assistance and training services, TCSG's Office of Workforce Development will help eligible individuals get back into the workforce as quickly as possible."

Dislocated Worker Grants are discretionary grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor. The grants provide resources to states in response to large, unexpected layoff events that cause significant job losses - all with the purpose of re-employing laid-off workers and enhancing their employability and earnings.

"We are extremely grateful for the funding provided by the U.S. Congress to help our fellow Georgians receive the essential job training needed to get back into the workforce," said TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier. "Through no fault of their own, many of our friends and neighbors lost their jobs due to the impact the coronavirus has had on the economy. This grant will help ensure these folks can get back on their feet, back into a job, and back to collecting a paycheck."

Eligible individuals can click here to complete their initial application to receive job training and upskilling services provided by WorkSource GA. To learn more, please visit TCSG's webpage on COVID-19 Employment & Training Assistance.
 

TCSG salutes law enforcement on National Police Week

This week is National Police Week and Friday is National Peace Officers Memorial Day. We salute our law enforcement personnel and campus safety officers. Thanks for keeping our colleges and communities safe!

TCSG celebrates GED Grad Day

TCSG is celebrating all of the students who have received their GED diploma this year. In light of the current social climate, we know there is uncertainty and worry. But there is also so much to celebrate. That’s why we asked GED graduates to tell us "What’s Next?" We wanted to know what the future holds for them, whether it be a certain career path or plans for college. Check out responses from around the state on TCSG's Facebook page.
Eighteen students at Albany Technical College attending as dual enrolled high school students have plans to either continue to get a bachelor's degree or go into the military. COVID-19 has changed how we are able to recognize these students in person. We want to acknowledge their remarkable achievements and highlight their accomplishments. Albany Technical College is very proud of the accomplishments of the dual enrolled students and looks forward to hearing of their great success. Read more here.
At the annual 2020 Phi Theta Kappa International Catalyst Convention Awards ceremony, Athens Technical College’s Alpha Tau Zeta was recognized as an International Top 100 Chapter (top 100-ranked chapter out of 2,521), International Five Star Chapter and as the Georgia Region Most Distinguished Chapter. Congratulations to ATC’s Alpha Tau Zeta and chapter advisors Kay Helms (photo-L) and Nathan Loyd (photo-R)! 
 
On May 7, Dr. Victoria Seals, President of Atlanta Technical College, was joined virtually by representatives from Academic & Student Affairs and health care experts from the college. Dr. Seals started the forum by informing the public of the College’s response to the pandemic. ATC faculty member Mr. Barry Bates followed Dr. Seals by sharing a PowerPoint presentation with common misconceptions surrounding COVID-19, as well as safety precautions and advice on how to navigate through the pandemic. Watch the virtual town hall here.
Augusta Technical College Design and Media Production Technology graduate Sean Mooney woke up one morning and decided to help someone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mooney, along with his fellow employees at Showpony, an Augusta branding and merchandise company, wanted to find a way to help local businesses that had been forced to close or change their operations model. Showpony launched the #WeGiveAShirt campaign to support local businesses by selling t-shirts and providing them a portion of the profits. The campaign, which launched on April 1, has raised in excess of $70,000 for businesses. Read more here.
At the end of what has been an unprecedented semester for students nationwide, those in the military completing technical education programs at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center have persevered through a unique set of challenges. When Central Georgia Technical College transitioned courses online in March, VECTR Center students adjusted and began completing assignments digitally. That was until they received word from their respective branches that they must return to their active duty stations. Read more here.
The Chattahoochee Tech Foundation has awarded 109 scholarships valued at $112,000 to Chattahoochee Technical College students in order to help these students with advancing their educational and career goals. The scholarships, which range from $500 to $2,500, have been awarded to students who represent a wide variety of programs at Chattahoochee Tech, according to Chattahoochee Tech Advancement Coordinator Amanda Henderson. “We’ve been able to award more scholarship funds to students than ever before at a time when scholarships may be the only way for these students to continue their studies at Chattahoochee Tech,” said Henderson. Read more here.
The Military Officers Association of America (M.O.A.A.) is the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization with about 370,000 members from every branch of service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families. The Golden Isles chapter of M.O.A.A. is proud to offer scholarships to students who meet criteria of the M.O.A.A. at Coastal Pines Technical College. Richard Antczak, student in the Waycross Campus Horticulture Program, is the latest recipient of the M.O.A.A. Scholarship. An Army veteran, Antczak represents the hard-working values of the American military.
Due to social distancing policies and COVID-19 safety requirements, there are new ways of doing everything these days. Participating in a college's new student orientation is no exception. Columbus Technical College revised its new student orientation video to include a virtual welcome from Columbus Tech President Martha Ann Todd and posted the link on social media and its website. It was also sent directly to students who will be attending CTC for the first time this summer. Check out the video here.
From northwest Georgia to New York City, graduates of Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Respiratory Care program are sharing what it’s like to be on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Balancing family life has proven a challenge for many healthcare workers throughout the nation, but for Emily Slade, 2018 GNTC graduate, her family is not even in the same state. Slade has been in New York City for about two weeks working as a respiratory therapist for NYC Health + Hospitals in Queens. Slade is married and has a daughter, but left her wife and daughter in Georgia while she helped in one of the hardest hit cities in the United States. This is her first travel assignment and the staff at NYC Health + Hospitals has been extremely grateful for her being there. According to Slade, around 35% of the staff is out sick due to the outbreak. Read more here.
DeKalb County youth, ages 14-24, can learn and earn this summer through a partnership Georgia Piedmont Technical College has joined with DeKalb County Government, the DeKalb County School District, and WorkSource DeKalb. In response to the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, the transformation of the county’s traditional Summer Youth Employment Program into the DeKalb Virtual Career Academy will provide educational enrichment, career development, and summer income for 850 youth. The program, which runs from June 1 to July 31, will pay students $9 per hour while they learn online. Read more here.
Congratulations to Gwinnett Technical College’s Computer Sciences division for being named #1 on the Convergence College Network (CCN) “Leader Board.” The Convergence College Network is a select cohort of community colleges and universities from across the country that connects IT educators with a wealth of resources to enhance their programs. The Convergence College Network is serviced by the National Convergence Technology Center (CTC). The CTC mission is to prepare students with the cutting-edge skills they need to get and keep a high-wage career with expansive future potential in IT.
Lanier Technical College’s practical nursing alumnae, Lakevia Sade, is helping on the frontline war against COVID-19 and other emergencies. As an LPN with BOS Medical in Athens, Lakevia is making a difference. LTC Practical Nursing instructor Gail Forrester, RN, MSNEd, said, “We’re very proud of our recent graduate, Lakevia. She is a very hard-working student and she continues to show her work ethic and her compassion for others as she pursues her career. Practical nurses like Lakevia are a true treasure for the healthcare workforce.”
North Georgia Technical College's Horticulture program instructors delivered some love and appreciation to six area hospitals and nursing homes this week to help celebrate National Hospital Week. More than 400 plants and flowers cultivated and grown by the college's horticulture students were donated to front line healthcare workers and medical personnel as a small thank you for their hard work and care for the community. Pictured left to right is NGTC Horticulture instructor Jeff Wilbanks, St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital Director of Administration and Support Service Lauren Papka, and NGTC Agriculture Program Director Wayne Randall at one of the college's delivery locations at St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia. 
Sarah Edge graduated from Oconee Fall Line Technical College's Practical Nursing program in 2016. She continued her educational journey in the College's Associate Degree in Nursing Bridge program and graduated in OFTC's fist ADN cohort in 2019. While she knew nursing was her calling, she never imagined herself working on the front lines of a global pandemic. Edge has worked as a registered nurse at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin for two years and has recently worked directly with more than ten COVID-19 patients. Read more here.
Stephanie Lastinger, a 2018 graduate of Ogeechee Technical College’s Practical Nursing program, currently works on the designated COVID-19 floor of East Georgia Regional Medical Center. Lastinger, who serves in the Telemetry department of EGRMC, said this brought about some added precautions to her daily routine. “There is certainly a heightened awareness on my floor, along with the increased usage of PPE,” she said. One additional precaution, restrictions on visitations, has increased the significance of the one-on-one interaction that Lastinger has with the patients she serves. Read more here.
Savannah Technical College’s Professional Continuing Education department and SCORE have created free weekly business survival webinar workshops to support area businesses starting May 22. SCORE mentors and STC faculty and staff will lead workshops, which were created in an effort to help Savannah’s small business community deal with the serious challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. Read more here.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford announced that the college’s remote summer registration is currently underway and that the online application fee and placement test requirements have been waived for admission during the COVID-19 outbreak. SGTC also provides the use of textbooks at no cost to students. Classes start May 27th. “This is an awesome opportunity for individuals to enroll in college classes,” said President Watford. “Summer semester is only eight weeks long, South Georgia Technical College provides students the use of text books at no cost, and the application fee and placement exam requirement has been waived." Read more here.
Southeastern Technical College salutes front line workers! STC graduate Jason Newton: “I work in ICU. I learned about global pandemics in nursing school, but never thought I would be in the middle of one. The hardest part is not being able to see my friends and family like I used to. I try to help flatten the curve as best I can. I am so thankful for the ASN program at STC. They taught me how to be prepared for these types of situations, among other things."
When the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly closed Southern Crescent Technical College campuses and instruction transitioned to remote methods, Machine Tool Technology Instructor Keith Smith set aside some time to lend a helping hand by making face shields as protection from the virus. To date, 100 face shields have been created using Industry 4.0 technologies such as digital manufacturing, 3D printing, and real-world collaborative design software. With these tools, Smith was able to quickly begin work on a face shield to join the battle against the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more here.
In 2017, Southern Regional Technical College interviewed recent GED graduate and new SRTC-Tifton Associate Science of Nursing student Casey Jones about his journey to earning his GED. “For a long time, I thought I would never get the chance to go to college. Literally no one in my family has ever gone. College just seemed unattainable for me,” Casey said at the time. It is with great pride as we head into Nurses Week that we can announce that Casey is now a graduate of the ASN program! Congratulations to Casey Jones and his entire graduating class at SRTC-Tifton! Click here to read Casey’s story from 2017. 
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, trucks from colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia have been assisting in the pickup and delivery of medical supplies as part of GEMA's emergency plan. Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia began producing face shields to donate to GEMA and reached out to West Georgia Technical College to help get them delivered. “TCSG trucks have been moving medical supplies around the state since the pandemic started, and we’re part of GEMA’s emergency plans to assist in pickup and delivery,” said WGTC Chief of Police James Perry. Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia has produced over 20,000 face shields at its plant in West Point and donated them to GEMA to assist medical providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College will begin Summer Semester on May 18 in an online/distance education format with limited labs. Lab classes are being submitted for approval under guidance from TCSG and the Governor’s Executive Orders. Lab classes will follow the guidelines in place under the Executive Orders for the safety and wellbeing of students and faculty. Students registered for approved on-campus labs will be notified of lab times and instructions for attending. Wiregrass is committed to providing a safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff. Read more here.
Check out this “We are in this together” video from Augusta Technical College.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College released a fun tribute to four-legged coworkers.
Southern Regional Technical College celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week with a video salute.